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Wednesday, 30 April 2014

[snip]

Photo: RIA Novosti

Japanese civilians can hardly imagine they will ever live again in Tomioka, a ghost town about 6 miles from the notorious Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. The government claims a 12-mile no-go zone around the plant will soon be completely decontaminated and reopen. However, distrust of the governmental decontamination program remains strong.

A survey, conducted in 2013, indicated that only 16 percent of former Tomioka residents were considering the possibility of returning to their hometown, while 40 percent had decided never to return and 43 percent were undecided.

"The prime minister says the accident is under control, but we feel the thing could explode the next minute," said Michiko Onuki, a former Tomioka resident who ran a ceramic and craft shop there, cited by the Associated Press. "We would have to live in fear of radiation. This town is dead."

....

According to the decontamination program the annual radiation exposure should be brought down to 1 millisievert (the equivalent of 10 chest X-rays). However, the government is lifting evacuation orders at higher levels, which many consider to be dangerous.

It should be also noted that if the evacuation order is lifted for Tomioka, the residents will lose their 100,000 yen ($1,000) of special monthly compensation from TEPCO.

Tuesday, 29 April 2014

In addition to the more spectacular attacks against our health from reckless extraction and power production there is also the reckless and wasteful way that we've mined Uranium and similar toxic substances. All over the world, including in the USA and Canada there are these toxic sites and contaminated neighbors. People are trying to get something about this done and Margaret Flowers of Global Research reported on this on April 23rd as "America's Secret Fukushima". Please read this article. The people hurt by uranium mines are hurt badly and they need our help as much as the folks impacted by Fukushima, or Chernobyl:

But I worry that this article is an example of information control as influence on the environmental movement. The article is about a good thing -- efforts to assist folks damaged by reckless and wasteful mining of radium, uranium, thorium and other fossil deposits for use in bomb making or power generation. The article notes:

"In Riley Pass, one of the largest AUMs in South Dakota, the deadly effect of the mine was apparent. As the group approached the bluff, the tree line ended abruptly at the edge of the mine. At Ludlow, the group measured radioactivity with a Geiger counter at an elementary school playground that was 44 microrems/hour. This is the equivalent of more than 150 Counts Per Minute (CPM), over the 100 CPM threshold, which means it cannot be attributed to background radiation. During the tour, people from every community spoke of health problems related to uranium exposure and their high level of concern over the lack of information about the AUMs and action to remediate them."

But the article also reflects years of efforts at controlling information. We (possibly unconsciously) pass on the claim that counts of 100cpm or less are somehow "normal" and can be attributed to "normal background" when we are trying to argue with the nuclear industry. Indeed it turns out that when one gets a radon test. The threshold for doing something about radon radioactivity is "4pCi/L" which translates to counts per minute of about 100 CPM, so we are living under this threshold for most things we do. But it is disturbing as the normal level of radon in a home or in the air is .4pCi/L so we are talking a threshold some 10x what ought to be safe as a start.

Well less than 100 cpm is not normal even if it is gradually becoming the "new normal". Even low level internal exposures to radioactive isotopes increase possible cancer epidemiology.

The National Cancer Institute notes:

Radon is a radioactive gas released from the normal decay of the elements uranium, thorium, and radium in rocks and soil.

Radioactive particles from radon can damage cells that line the lungs and lead to lung cancer.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and is associated with 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year.

Testing is the only way to know if your home has elevated radon levels. Health authorities recommend radon testing and encourage corrective action when necessary.

So there are no safe levels of radiation exposure. Even if it comes from radon escaping natural deposits deep in the earth. We have to take exposure seriously. It's not the end of the world (hopefully) but it's not something trivial either.

Monday, 28 April 2014

“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” is a famous poem by Goethe, perhaps better known in Japan for its appearance in Disney’s “Fantasia”. In the story, the sorcerer departs, leaving the apprentice to do the chores. Tired of doing them, the apprentice tries to use his magic to get the broom to do the work. The apprentice soon finds himself in trouble, unable to control the magic he has unleashed. The broom continues to bring more and more water, and the place starts to flood. Just as the situation begins to appear hopeless, the sorcerer returns and stops the spell, preventing a disaster.

At the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) now finds itself in an uncannily similar situation to the foolish sorcerer’s apprentice. In its desire for maximizing profits, it took shortcuts and did not invest sufficiently in safety. On 11 March 2011, TEPCO discovered the consequences of playing with forces it could not completely control. And like Goethe’s story, TEPCO is threatened by a seemingly never-ending stream of water, much of it is contaminated. Unfortunately for TEPCO, and the rest of us, there is no master sorcerer who can stop the flow of water.
...

As many of the storage tanks were hastily constructed, and water continues to build up day by day, there will surely be more problems in the future. At present, 1,000 tanks hold 440,000 tons of contaminated water, and workers aim to double the storage capacity by 2016. With so much water being stored, future mishaps are all but inevitable.

It is in this context that the manager of the plant, Akira Ono, recently acknowledged to reporters that “it’s embarrassing to admit that there are certain parts of the site where we don’t have full control”. After appearing in a Reuters report reprinted in The Japan Times, this statement presented itself as yet another reason to attack TEPCO: their own plant manager admitting they are not in control of the plant! Yet do we really need more reasons to criticize TEPCO? Their bumbling, incompetent, self-centred mismanagement of Fukushima No. 1 has ensured them a permanent place in Japan’s corporate hall of shame.

...

It is precisely TEPCO’s continual assurances that everything is fine, and Prime Minister’s Shinzo Abe’s exaggerated claims to Olympic officials in Buenos Aires, that generate more skepticism among the public. Even Goethe’s apprentice acknowledged the situation was beyond what he could handle. Continuing to pretend that the situation at Fukushima is under control when it so blatantly is not is reminiscent of Monty Python’s skit involving the deluded Black Knight: “It’s just a flesh wound!”(It’s just a small leak, it won’t happen again).

...

A much better approach would be for TEPCO to be more up front and honest in explaining the situation at the plant. This is perhaps the only way that it might be able to begin rebuilding some degree of trust with the public.

...Decommissioning of the plant is expected to take 30 to 40 years, and many serious challenges lie ahead. There will be more leaks and problems at the No. 1 plant. There will also have to be the controlled release of contaminated water into the ocean. Public support and understanding will be needed through these difficult processes.

Sunday, 27 April 2014

[snip]

The nuclear fuel in three of the reactors at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant has melted through the base of the pressure vessels and is pooling in the outer containment vessels, according to a report by the Japanese government.

Image 1 of 2

Cracks where air is leaking on the main exhaust duct of the No.4 reactor at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plantPhoto: REUTERS

By Julian Ryall, Tokyo

1:06AM BST 09 Jun 2011

The findings of the report, which has been given to the International Atomic Energy Agency, were revealed by the Yomiuri newspaper, which described a "melt-through" as being "far worse than a core meltdown" and "the worst possibility in a nuclear accident."

A spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the company is presently revising the road-map for bringing the plant under control, including the time required to achieve cold shutdown of the reactors. [how can you have a colod shut down of something that is in longer where it supposed to be]

In a best-case scenario, the company says it will be able to achieve that by October, although that may have to be revised in light of the report.

Water that was pumped into the pressure vessels to cool the fuel rods, becoming highly radioactive in the process, has been confirmed to have leaked out of the containment vessels and outside the buildings that house the reactors.

Tepco said it is trying to contain the contaminated water and prevent it from leaking into the sea, but elevated levels of radiation have been confirmed in the ocean off the plant.

The radiation will also have contaminated the soil and plant and animal life around the facility, making the task of cleaning up more difficult and expensive, as well as taking longer.

...

The experts have also yet to come up with a plan for decommissioning the ruined plant....

Melt-downs of the fuel in the No. 2 and No. 3 reactors followed over the following days with the molten fuel collecting at the bottom of the pressure vessels before burning through and into the external steel containment vessels.

The fuel appears to be stable at present as it is being cooled by water pumped into the vessels, although it will complicate the emergency recovery plan put forward by the government.

...

Combined, the two announcements will raise further questions about the true scale of the problem at the plant and the measures being taken to get the situation under control.

"The recovery effort at the plant is likely to be more difficult as they will not be able to use their previous plan to contain the fuel," Yoshiaki Oka, a professor of nuclear science at Tokyo's Waseda University told The Daily Telegraph.

"So it may take longer and be more difficult, but it is something they have to do.

"But we now know that this happened at the very beginning of the accident, so I see no particular additional effects on human health," he said.

Friday, 25 April 2014

The 'mysterious black substance' found early after the initial explosions around sewers, water points, roads, roof and indeed children's play grounds has been proven to be highly radioactive fuel from 'inside' the containment vessels.

This substance has been document as far afield as the Capital Tokyo.

Ths revelation dispels any further myth as to what this 'mysterious' substance was, and indeed, points another finger at the mismanagment, lies and coverups both of Tepco and the Japanese Government, who must have know very well what this 'substance' was, and failed yet again to act in the best interest of it's citizen's safety.

So, to be techincally correct, it could very well have been a death sentance (albeit belatedly), for anyone who neared or touched it. Microscopic aqnd atomic Plutonium, among hundred of other readioactive elements left to circulate the environment.

Yet, this is the same Government who recently Claimed victory by slaughtering over 1000 irradiated cattle inside the 20 km Exclussion zone in their national papers, yest moved people 'home within the 20 km safety zone, and pledged safety for the 2020 Olympics.

International dilemna indeed.

[snip]

It Also Suffered "Melt-Throughs" and "Melt-outs"

The next month, we reported that Fukushima’s reactors had actually suffered something much worse: nuclear melt-throughs, where the nuclear fuel melted through the containment vessels and into the ground. At the time, this was described as:

The worst possibility in a nuclear accident.

But now, it turns out that some of the Fukushima reactors have suffered even a more extreme type of damage: melt-OUTS.

Stop to believe in Bs served by People who cant even explain you the basics of Food Contamination!

Sushi is made by a Slice of Fish, ca. 8-10 gram,
Sushi is always mixed Fish from different Regions (!!!)
to accumulate even 0.1microSievert in your Body you need at least
8.000-10.000 Pieces of Sushi which must be above of the max. allowed Level of 100 Bq for Japanese Products.

To eat Meat because you want to avoid Radiation from Fish is plain Stupid!

Try to avoid Radioactivity but still smoking is laughable,
when you smoke a Pack of Cigarettes a Day you accumulate ca. 50-100 "Milli-Sievert" directly in to your Lungs and Blood!

Which is ca. 100 Times as much of Radiation like here in Japan/ Tokyo!
When you have Children (passive Smoker) you give them ca. 20-50 Times as much, ergo: Be Smart and Rational!

To smoke but fearing "Hoto Particles" is the biggest Joke!

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 57268125

Thanks TEPCO, even with your inadequate ability to save the world from several unabated melt downs, with missing cores, thankyou for the 'don't smoke it's unhealthy lesson'

RIGHT ON!

please... continue to derail.......

for what it's worth?.. have any of you travelled OUTSIDE of Japan?.. and have seen that NONE of us buy your bullshit?

carry on, with the illegal unabated release of toxic shit into the global oceans, I am sure every one will forgive you for that *wink.......

Christof Lehmann (nsnbc) : The Hanford Nuclear site in Washington is attracting renewed attention as rare birth defects, including babies born with parts of their brain missing, spike around the facility. An epidemiologist assigned by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claims the incidents are not focused near the Hanford site, prompting the question how it can be that the CDC official failed to notice that the Hanford site is located in the center of the cluster.

File image: Ancephalic child.

Incidence 400 percent above normal. The Washington State Health Department is trying to identify the cause of an unusually high number of rare birth defects in south central Washington, around the leaking Hanford nuclear site. In 2013, seven cases of anencephaly, a rare and often fatal birth defect were reported in a remote region of Washington State, clustered around the Hanford site.
There is still no explanation for the spike, said State Health Department officials. The seven cases reported in 2013 bring the number of reported cases in the region, which includes Yakima, Benton and Franklin, up to 30 since 2010 up to 30.

Wednesday, 23 April 2014

Diffusion release of radioactive substances by TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident of March 11, 2011 is, radioactive
The deposited contaminated by rain scatter radioactive material to 500km distance in a plume, high-dose
I was the formation of a "hot spot" area. Mother and child is the first year in particular residents live in this area
In addition (inhalation exposure, ingestion exposure) to exposure, the dose due to high day-to-day from the soil
I'm very concerned about the health effects of exposure to future results.
Along with the citizens of your community, Joso co-op is automatically up to 2,000 locations between June-August 2011
As well as perform spatial dose study of parks and home before, to approach the children and looking for a high concentration pollution point
I've been asked by the government to deal together with no warning.
Start the soil survey, such as Ami-machi, Ibaraki Prefecture and surrounding Nagareyamaootakanomori urgently than in November last year, now
Own citizens in order to understand the first year of pollution hot spot area than in January entered the year
It was decided to put together the initial pollution by removing a soil of 1,000 or more locations.

Than is exposure experience following Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to Chernobyl in the world, pollution of the accident the first year
To children and the measures that you can take to clarify the actual exposure to the situation, to reduce even a little exposure
It is necessary to promote and raise the region that you watch carefully to investigate the health effects of.

And radioactive contamination of the living environment, material of objective understanding of radiation dose as a material of one of the
I want the basic data as a.

Survey Guidelines

[Collection method]
1. On that are separated by 1km mesh each municipality (selection of the sampling point), Principle 1 per within the frame
I was taken soil of the point. Selection of the sampling point is, no flow flow of rainwater height difference is small
The point of the natural state that seems the hand of man is not applied and, in the land of small plant
Chose. I was a public area housing compartment vacant lots, parks, etc. Many.

Download video (210.95 MB)
The tragedy of the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster took place almost three years ago. Since then, radiation has forced thousands out of their homes and led to the deaths of many. It took great effort to prevent the ultimate meltdown of the plant – but are the after effects completely gone? Tokyo says yes; it also claims the government is doing everything it can for those who suffered in the disaster. However, disturbing facts sometimes rise to the surface. To shed a bit of light on the mystery of the Fukushima aftermath, Sophie Shevardnadze talks to the former mayor of one of the disaster-struck cities. Katsutaka Idogawa is on SophieCo today.

Follow @SophieCo_RT

Sophie Shevardnadze: Mr. Idogawa, welcome to the program. Your town of Futaba was heavily dependent on cash coming in from the nuclear reactors and you yourself approved building more reactors. Did you believe back then, that something could go wrong?

Katsutaka Idogawa: Yes, I suspected it might, but I didn’t expect an accident of such proportions.

SS: You’ve said before that you knew right away that the government, that TEPCO – the plant’s operator, would lie about the consequences of the accident at Fukushima. When did you lose trust in the authorities?

KI: This was even before the accident, when I first came to see the management of the power plant. I asked them about potential accidents at a nuclear power plant, pretending I didn’t know anything about it, and it turned out they were unable to answer many of my questions. Frankly, that’s when it first crossed my mind that their management didn’t have a contingency plan. It was then that I realized the facility could be dangerous.

SS: March 11, 2011 - the day the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan...where were you that day?

KI: I wasn’t in Futaba that day, but I was near. I went to a nearby town on business. That’s where I was when the earthquake hit.

SS: What did you see around you?

KI: As for the aftermath of the earthquake, there were no destroyed buildings or water pipes ripped out of the ground in the town where I was. But I saw all that on my way back to Futaba. As soon as it happened, I jumped into my car and drove to Futaba. I managed to get there before the bigger tsunami came. It was only later that I realized that I escaped the water...

SS: When a catastrophe of this scale happens, I understand that it is very difficult to control your emotions, it is difficult to get a hold of yourself, take any action. What were your first actions?

KI: The earthquake was very strong. I just kept thinking, “If it’s that strong, what will happen to the power plant? What if the reactor is damaged? What if the water leaks? What will the city do? What am I to do as mayor?

SS:I can only imagine how much worry you felt at that moment. Do you remember what you did right after the disaster hit?

KI: It took me 20-30 minutes to get back to my office in Futaba. There was a traffic jam, so I chose an alternative route along the coast. At that moment I wasn’t thinking about anything except the fact that I had to get back as soon as possible. I heard a tsunami warning on my car radio. Tsunami waves had never been higher than 60 cm before. I thought that even if it’s big, the wave would be about 6 meters at most. I had no idea the road I was on could be washed away by the tsunami. I got lucky. The tsunami came after I drove off that road and up the mountains. I got to my office in Futaba and started checking for damage. I walked around every floor, and on the 4th floor I looked out the window. Usually you couldn’t see the sea from there, but that time I could see it just 300-500 meters away. It was a truly terrifying sight. I had all these thoughts swirling in my head: “What should I do? How to evacuate people? Where do we run? How do we save ourselves?” Also, I realized that the power plant would be damaged, and I didn’t know what to do about it. Looking back, I think I didn’t deal with the crisis well enough. I think I didn’t ask myself enough questions.

SS: As I understand, you gave orders to evacuate your city right away?

KI: Yes. I didn’t sleep at all that night. I was watching TV, since it was the only source of information. I kept thinking what to do with radiation, how to inform and evacuate the people. Mobile phones didn’t work because there was no signal, so radio was the only way. On the morning of March 12, I announced an emergency evacuation. I assumed radiation would not reach the mountains and we would be safe if we left the city. I told the people to go to Kawamata, a town 50 km away. There’s just one road that goes there, and it was packed with cars. Later, I learned that not all the Futaba residents heard my announcement. I feel guilty about that. Back then, I believed that it would be safe to go to Kawamata, which was further away from the plant than the government-recommended 10-20 km. Later, I found out that Fukushima Prefecture hadn’t given me all the information in a timely fashion. And now the government isn’t taking any steps to ensure people’s safety from radiation and isn’t monitoring the implementation of evacuation procedures.

SS: You decided to evacuate people from Futaba as far as possible without consulting anybody - so you completely assumed responsibility?

KI: Our city always had an emergency plan in case of a fire or an accident at the plant. Every year, we had special drills in case there was a fire at the plant. I think it’s the central government and the Fukushima Prefecture authorities that bear the most responsibility for what happened. As mayor, it is my responsibility to take care of the people of Futaba. At that time, I had no time to get advice. I tried talking to the prefecture authorities but there was absolute chaos. It was impossible to get advice or hold a meeting. So I chose to act on my own, and I decided to start with evacuating the people as far from the radiation as possible.

SS: Your town is moving to a new location, to the neighboring city of Iwaki. Is it safe there? Do you see this as a new start for the people?

KI: I’d like to show you a table with radiation levels around Chernobyl. Radiation levels around Fukushima are four times higher than in Chernobyl, so I think it’s too early for people to come back to Fukushima Prefecture. Here you can see radiation levels in our region, Tohoku. This is ground zero, and the radiation radius is 50-100km, even 200km in fact. Fukushima Prefecture is at the very center. The city of Iwaki, where Futaba citizens moved, is also in Fukushima Prefecture. It is by no means safe, no matter what the government says. Exposing people to the current levels of radiation in Fukushima is a violation of human rights. It’s terrible.

SS: Evacuation advisories are being lifted for some cities in the Fukushima area, but you’re saying that the government is allowing this, despite the danger of radiation?

KI: Fukushima Prefecture has launched the Come Home campaign. In many cases, evacuees are forced to return. Here is a map of Fukushima Prefecture, with areas hit by radiation highlighted in yellow, and you can see that the color covers almost the entire map. Air contamination decreased a little, but soil contamination remains the same. And there are still about two million people living in the prefecture, who have all sorts of medical issues. The authorities claim this has nothing to do with the fallout. I demanded that the authorities substantiate their claim in writing but they ignored my request. There are some terrible things going on in Fukushima. I remember feeling so deeply for the victims of the Chernobyl tragedy that I could barely hold back the tears whenever I heard any reports on it. And now that a similar tragedy happened in Fukushima, the biggest problem is that there is no one to help us. They say it’s safe to go back. But we must not forget the lessons of Chernobyl. We must protect our children. I talked to local authorities in different places in Fukushima, but no one would listen to me. They believe what the government says, while in reality the radiation is still there. This is killing children. They die of heart conditions, asthma, leukemia, thyroiditis…Lots of kids are extremely exhausted after school; others are simply unable to attend PE classes. But the authorities still hide the truth from us, and I don’t know why. Don’t they have children of their own? It hurts so much to know they can’t protect our children.

SS: I understand that many children who have been evacuated are now living in the Fukushima district again; new schools have opened for these children, and you say they are facing radiation there…Is anything being done to help the children affected by the nuclear fallout?

KI: Officially, both the central government and the prefecture authorities say there is no radiation. They’re not doing anything, and they’re not going to do anything. They say Fukushima Prefecture is safe, and that’s why nobody’s working to evacuate children, move them elsewhere. We’re not even allowed to discuss this.

"When I was mayor," Idogawa says, "I knew many people who died from heart attacks, and then there were many people in Fukushima who died suddenly, even among young people. It’s a real shame that the authorities hide the truth from the whole world, from the UN. We need to admit that actually many people are dying. We are not allowed to say that but TEPCO employees also are dying. But they keep mum about it."

Sunday, 20 April 2014

Kevin HesterStefan A Atkinson I have been discussing this with him for 1000+ days and in NZ we import New and Second hand cars and machinery making this Very significant.This is my latest letter to the Prime Minister of N.Z. John Key. john.key@national.org.nz . and the Minister of Primary Industries 's.joyce@ministers.govt.nz'( I have sent MANY! lol) concerning Fukushima Daiichi. I have used this link as my latest example!Wish me luck and feel free to send the Bastard an email as well. One thing is for sure, he will kow tow to the Japanese government like a subservient Geisha Girl.Dear Sir, I write to you again with regard to the Triple Melt downs at Fukushima Daiichi and the ongoing risks associated with the importation of food products and second hand equipment from Japan.Whilst following this issue closely in the media I have yet to see any reports of contaminated produce or vehicles coming into NZ but have seen numerous reports from Korea, Russia, India, Pakistan and further afield. See attached link; http://www.nation.com.pk/.../pakistan-may-ban-japan...Do you or the Minister of Primary Industries have any up to date information on this matter and have we given this issue any further consideration? “Almost three years back in April 2011, Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority had directed authorities dealing with Cargo arriving directly or indirectly from Japan to screen all types of consignments including edible/non-edible, for radiation.The directives were issued from the country's well-reputed institution Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) following serious crisis of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. The PNRA made clearance mandatory for every consignment being imported from Japan.”“It is worthy of mentioning here that country's nuclear scientists had advised the federal government three years back to halt all types of goods from Japan to minimize the threat of radiation following the Fukushima Nuclear Crisis in Japan. The scientists had advised the government after they detected high level of Iodine from the consignments imported from Japan.Although India, Pakistan's immediate neighbor, had banned imports from Japan following the Fukushima Nuclear Plant tragedy, yet keeping in view that the move to ban imports from Japan may hurt bilateral relationship between the two friendly countries, the Pakistani government never imposed ban on import of goods from Japan.”Sir, I sincerely hope that the Issue of Bilateral relations between our two nations do not influence the approach to dealing with the risks that foodstuffs and equipment from Japan pose to both the people and the ecology of New Zealand.Should contamination from the Fukushima Daiichi disaster infiltrate the N.Z. ecology and food chain our primary Industries and subsequently our economy could be severely affected.I look forward to hearing from you on the above matters and any information you have concerning prior detection of radioactive foodstuffs or equipment that have been detected enroute to N.Z .